NYPD union chief slams Bill de Blasio for comments made about cops

Patrick Lynch, head of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, said the mayor threw police under a bus for his comments following the start of Wednesday’s protests. The mayor said he had to train his son ‘how to take special care in any encounter he had with the police officers who are there to protect him.’

BY ERIN DURKIN , THOMAS TRACYBY ERIN DURKIN , THOMAS TRACY

ALEC TABAK/FOR NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Police union boss Patrick Lynch, seen here speaking at a news conference, is unhappy with Mayor de Blasio's recent remarks about cops.

As hundreds of cops were standing toe-to-toe with protesters, Mayor de Blasio was busy throwing New York’s Finest under a bus, the head of the city’s largest police union said Thursday.

De Blasio stepped up to a podium late Wednesday and told reporters that he and his wife, Chirlane McCray, who is black, have told their son to be wary of cops. Hizzoner made the comment in the wake of a Staten Island grand jury’s decision to not indict Officer Daniel Pantaleo in the chokehold death of Eric Garner — a decision that sparked demonstrations across the city.

“(Cops) were out there doing a difficult job in the middle of the night, protecting the right of those to protest, and the mayor was behind a microphone like this one throwing them under the bus,” said Patrick Lynch, head of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association.

The mayor said he’s had to train his son “how to take special care in any encounter he has with the police officers who are there to protect him.”

EDUARDO MUNOZ/REUTERS

Mayor de Blasio on Thursday did not back down from the comments he made the previous day.

Cops were bowled over by de Blasio’s remarks, Lynch said.

“All of our sons and daughters walk on the streets in safety because of police officers,” he said. “(Children) should be afraid of the criminals.”

“If he wants to train young black men in how to avoid being killed in this city, he can talk about police. Police should never kill anybody unjustifiably,” Giuliani told Fox News. “But you should spend 90% of your time talking about the way they’re actually probably going to get killed, which is by another black. To avoid that fact, I think, is racist.”

De Blasio held his ground on Thursday.

“I said there is a history, and there is a reality — a lot of people feel fear. It’s not that they should, it’s that they do,” he said. “I don’t think denying that reality is going to move us forward.”